Okay, I thought I would be writing only one more post to finish out this blog, but once I started combing through images of my wedding for what was intended to be a “brief” discussion about my accessories, I realized I had too much to say on the subject to confine myself to a short paragraph and two or three images.  I was planning on rolling the discussion of my and my attendants’ accessories into a last, catch-all post about the numerous minor details that go into a wedding at the last minute, but, in truth, there was nothing minor or “last minute” about the way I chose to adorn myself and my entourage on the day of the wedding; I had been obsessing over the subject for nearly two years.  The simple reality is that I’m a magpie.  I never knew this until Rich put a sparkly ring from Tiffany on my finger and set me loose upon the bridal accessories industry like an over-stimulated squirrel, but I’m at peace with the realization.  In fact, I embrace it.  In fact, I altered my wedding budget various times to accommodate my new obsession.  I’m so glad I did, since, in the end, I loved my accessories more than my dress, and unlike my dress I intend to wear them again for special occasions in the future.  Sure, it might be difficult finding an appropriate occasion to wear a giant crystal and mother-of-pearl hair comb, but I’ve already begun dropping phrases like “vow renewal ceremony” into my daily lexicon.  So far, my husband hasn’t scoffed, and, according to my rudimentary understanding of male psychology, if I keep saying it often enough my powers of suggestion should overtake his contrary inclinations and — voila! — in a few years I’ll be wearing it again in the tiny, medieval chapel in Vernazza.  He’ll be wondering how we got there, and I’ll be contendedly sparkling.

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Until about three weeks ago, I really loved birdcage veils.  I explained the reasons why in a previous post, but I’ll distill them down to just two for our purposes today:  First, and most importantly, they look “vintage; Second, I thought a traditional, romantic veil might seem too sweet and sentimental on the likes of me (two adjectives very few people would use to describe yours truly).  I was so enamored with the idea of wearing a sassy little cage veil that I even toyed with the thought of making my attendants wear tiny black ones with their feather fascinators!  My Honored Attendant and sister Victoria supported the idea of my wearing a birdcage veil, and even my mother, from whom I expected some sort of protest, seemed rather resigned to this latest whim of mine.  I made a couple of phone calls to local bridal salons asking if they carried Sara Gabriel cage veils and then, upon receiving assurance that they had what I was looking for, booked an appointment at Mariella Creations in Rocky Hill for May 31st, coincidentally the Friday before Memorial Day weekend.  Simple enough, right?  Well, actually, there were ominous signs all over the place that the day was cursed, and that this whole cage veil idea was careening face-first into catastrophe!

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After months of drooling over Regina B.’s delicious baubles, I finally turned my fixation into actual purchases:  A few weeks ago, I ordered earrings as gifts for my maid and matron of honor, my best friend Tara and sister Victoria, respectively.  More recently, my sister ordered my accessories as a gift, my “something new” (the best gift ever, for which I’ve decided to thank her by waiting several full weeks before accosting her with a new laundry list of wedding-related tasks I need completed in a timely and efficient manner).  So, all I can do now is wait semi-patiently for the arrival of my fabulous trousseau at some point before November 6th.  In the meantime, I’ve been getting my daily fix from her website, www.reginab.com, where I discovered the mind-numbing fabulousness of the necklace pictured in this post.  I’ve decided its over-the-top, sparkly decadence deserves a post all its own. continue reading »

As you might remember from my “Gilding the Lily” post, I’ve been in love with Regina B. accessories for months.  I’ve been planning on purchasing my bridal jewelry from her for the past year-and-half, and I thought I had a clear idea of which pieces I wanted.  Recently, however, I’ve had to reconsider my “vision.”  While I was watching wedding planner extraordinaire David Tutera’s show “My Fair Wedding” (presumably, I’ll return to being a normal human being after my own wedding and will stop watching such things), I saw a magnificent, elaborate comb that I had previously not noticed on her website.  Here’s a photo of its beauteous sparkliness:

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As you know if you’ve been keeping up with my last few posts, I have a thing for fascinators.  If I hadn’t fallen so thoroughly in love with a comb from Regina B. that indulges my previously undiscovered fixation with Swarovski crystals and mother-of-pearl flowers, I would definitely wear one.  The photograh above illustrates approximately how I would wear mine — full and feathery and adorned with crystals, though probably anchoring a sassy little birdcage veil.  Since I can’t wear one myself on The Day, I’m glad that I have compliant bridesmaids on whom I can take out my flights of fancy instead.  While I was searching for appropriate fascinators for my attendants, I came across Deanna DiBene, who designed some adorable fascinators that I decided would be perfect for my vintage-inspired nuptials.  Here are some examples of her work:

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 So, if you remember the last time I checked in, Rich had left me in charge of dealing with the caterering while he went off to Detroit for work.  It took approximately a week and a half for me to have an emotional breakdown and decide that we needed to start from scratch and look for another caterer.  The moral of that story is that Rich should deal with all of the practical, stressful details, whereas I, impatient and prone to panic attacks, should focus on the small, fun, superficial and largely cosmetic details, like candles and ostrich feathers.  In that spirit, I shall gleefully submit a progress report on the last several months of thought I’ve lavished on the crucial subject of accessories!  Here is how I intend to adorn myself on The Day …

I’m most excited about my jewelry.  I ran across Regina B.’s website, www.reginab.com,  a few months ago rather accidentally and fell instantly in love with her beautiful combs and baubles.  Regina B. is a talented jewelry designer with a showroom in New York City who specializes in bridal accessories.  All of her hand-crafted pieces are made to order and can be customized to give you a one-of-a-kind piece (because who doesn’t feel a minor pang of rage when she sees another bride wearing her dress or another element of her trousseau?).  She uses Swarovski crystals, fresh water pearls and various metals for her designs.  Here are some sparkly examples of her work:

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